1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to harvesting energy using a turbine driven by a renewable energy resource.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
With the continuing growth in demand for energy as well as increases in its cost, there is a constant need for new energy supplies, and in particular for low cost and non-polluting alternatives. Many have recognized the value in harvesting energy from renewable resources. Aside from intrinsic variations, many forms of renewable energy are continually available and abundant. For example, it has long been recognized that solar and wind energy possess considerable energy. A variety of techniques have been developed to take advantage of these resources and they make substantial contributions to energy production today.
A variety of other renewable resources are available. Some of these are yet to be tapped, or the technology remains in its infancy. Consider the harvesting of energy that is stored in water vapor.
Water vapor in the atmosphere is primarily the result of the sun converting water on the surface of the Earth from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase. In this process, solar energy is absorbed by water molecules which are heated to the point of vaporization. Water vapor is also the result of many other sources of heat, both industrial and natural. Whatever the source is, any technique which is able to extract thermal energy transferred to water vapor will benefit from a virtually inexhaustible source of energy. This has not gone unnoticed, and some attempts have been made to provide viable solutions.
One solution for extracting energy stored in water vapor is that of a atmospheric vortex engine. Generally, a conventional atmospheric vortex engine makes use of a tornado-like convective vortex. The convective vortex may be accomplished with a device having a cylindrical wall in which air carrying water vapor is tangentially admitted to the base of the wall. The convective vortex is started by heating the air within the wall with fuel. The convective vortex is sustained using the naturally occurring heat of the ambient air or by a peripheral heat exchanger. Unfortunately, such conventional atmospheric vortex engines, have a cylindrical wall open on the upper end that acts as a chimney. This open end can allow the convective vortex to escape. Furthermore, turbines used in conventional atmospheric vortex engines are typically located at the input and low pressure side of the engine. This does not provide for harvesting energy which may be developed from humid air. Given the requirement to maintain a chimney of substantial height, such devices require substantial space and apparatus and are not easily deployed.
Some other devices that make use of a tornado-like convective vortex admit air to the base of a cylindrical wall via tangential ducts. Despite the atmospheric vortex engine having a cylindrical wall with an opening at the upper end, the heat required to sustain the vortex is provided by, for example, a peripheral heat exchanger.
There is a need for improved techniques to harvest the latent heat of vaporization of the water vapor in addition to, or as an alternative to the Chimney effect. Preferably, the technique should use the vortex to lower the temperature of the water vapor at the center of the vortex to the dew point, so that the water vapor condenses, and so releases it's latent heat of condensation which goes to augment the kinetic energy of the vortex. Once this is achieved, the chimney effect is no longer necessary, allowing the vortex chamber to be oriented horizontally.